MASS HAUL DIAGRAM

INTRODUCTION
• In order to minimize material waste or borrow,
it is necessary to produce what is called a
Mass Haul diagram (MHD).
• A MHD is essentially a plot of cumulative
volume of soil against distance along the road,
often called the chainage.
• Cut volumes are taken to be positive and fill
volumes to be negative.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definition
• The mass haul diagram (MHD) is a
diagrammatic representation of earthwork
volumes along a linear profile, which is used
to compare the economics of the various
methods of earthwork distribution on road or
railway construction schemes.
• The x-axis represents the chainage along the
project.
• The y-axis represents the net earthwork
values.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• The vertical and horizontal axes of the mass
haul diagram are usually drawn at different
scales to exaggerate the diagram and thereby
facilitate its use.
• The MHD considers only earth moved in a
direction longitudinal to the direction of the
centre line of the project and does not take
into account any volume of material moved at
right angles to the centre line.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Since the mass haul diagram is simply a graph
of aggregate volume against chainage it will
be noted that if the volume is continually
decreasing with chainage, the project is all
embankment and all the material will have to
be imported on the site, since there will be no
fill material available for use.
• Such an occurrence will involve a great deal of
earth- moving and is obviously not an ideal
solution.
 EARTHWORK QUANTITIES
Mass Diagram

1000

800
Net Cumulative Volume (C.Y.)

600

400

200

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-200

-400
Station

Series1
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
To construct a MHD manually:
1. Calculate the cross-sectional areas at regular
horizontal distance intervals along the
project
2. Calculate the volumes between consecutive
areas and aggregate volume along the site.
3. Plot the longitudinal section along the
proposed centerline, the proposed formation
level being included.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM

To construct a MHD manually:

4. Draw the axes of the mass haul diagram
underneath the longitudinal profile such that
chainage zero on the profile coincides with
chainage zero on the diagram.
5. The value of the first station (origin) = 0
6. Plot the aggregate volume against chainage.
7. Join the points by curves or straight lines to
obtain the finished mass haul diagram.
MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definitions
• Haul distance is the distance from the point of
excavation to the point where the material is to
be tipped.
• Average haul distance is the distance from the
centre of gravity of the excavation to the centre
of gravity of the tip.
• Freehaul distance is the distance, usually
specified in the contract, over which a charge is
levied only for the volume of earth excavated and
not for its movement.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definitions
• Freehaul volume is that volume of material
which is moved through the free haul distance
• Overhaul distance is the distance, in excess of
the freehaul distance over which it may be
necessary to transport material.
• Overhaul volume is that volume of material
which is moved in excess of the freehaul
distance.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definitions
• Haul. This is the term used when calculating
the costs involved in the earth moving.
Haul = total volume of the excavation x
average haul distance
On the mass haul diagram is equal to the area
contained between the curve and the
balancing line
• Freehaul is that part of the haul which is
contained within the free haul distance.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definitions
• Overhaul is that part of the haul which remains
after the freehaul has been removed.
Overhaul = overhaul volume x overhaul distance
• Waste is that volume of material which must be
exported from a section of the site owing to a
surplus or unsuitability.
• Borrow is the volume of material which must be
imported into a section of the site owing to a
deficiency of suitable material
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Definitions
• Bulking: An increase in volume of earthwork
after excavation.
• Shrinkage: A decrease in volume earthwork
after deposition and compaction.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Characteristics
• When the curve is rising, the project is in cut and
when the curve is falling, the project is in fill.
Hence, the end of a section in cut is shown by a
maximum point on the curve and the end of a
section in fill is shown by a minimum point on
the curve.
• The vertical distance between a maximum point
and the next forward minimum represents the
volume of an embankment and the vertical
distance between a minimum point and the next
forward maximum represents the volume of a
cutting.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Characteristics
• Any horizontal line which cuts the mass haul
curve at two or more points balances cut and fill
between those points and because of this is
known as a balancing line.
• When a balancing line has been drawn on the
curve, any area lying above the balancing line
signifies that the material must be moved to the
right and any area lying below the balancing line
signifies that the material must be moved to the
left.
• The length of the balancing line between
intersection points is the maximum haul distance
in that section.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Characteristics
• The area of the mass haul diagram contained
between the curve and the balancing line is equal
to the haul in that section. Instead of calculating
the centres of gravity of excavations and tips,
which can be a difficult task, the average haul
distance in each section can be easily found by
dividing the haul in that section by the volume in
that section
• If a surplus volume remains, this is waste which
must be removed from the site. If a deficiency of
earth at the end of the project, this is borrow
which must be imported on to the site
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Economics
• When costing the earth – moving, there are four
basic costs which are usually included in the
contract for the project.
Cost of free haul
• Any earth moved over distances not greater than
the free haul distance is costed only on the
excavation of its volume.
Cost of over haul
• Any earth moved over distances greater than the
free haul distance is charged both for its volume
and for the distance in excess of the free haul
distance over which it is moved.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
Economics
Cost of waste
• Any surplus or unsuitable material which must be
removed from the site and deposited in a tip is
usually charged on units of volume. This charge
can vary from one section of the site to another
depending on the nearness of tips.
Cost of borrow
• Any extra material which must be brought on the
site to make up a deficiency is also usually
charged on units of volume. This charge can also
vary from one section of the site to another
depending on the nearness of borrow pits or
spoil heaps.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Economics
• Calculation of total cost of earthworks:
1. Freehaul prices in freehaul distance =
freehaul volume x freehaul distance x
freehaul prices
2. Overhaul prices in freehaul distance =
overhaul volume x freehaul distance x
freehaul prices
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Economics
• Calculation of total cost of earthworks:
3. Overhaul prices in overhaul distance =
overhaul volume x (average overhaul
distance - freehaul distance) x overhaul
prices
4. Borrow prices = borrow volume x borrow
prices
5. Waste prices = waste volume x waste prices
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• uses
In design
• In the design of linear civil engineering projects
there is a close link between the mass haul
diagram and the formation level. If several
formation levels are tried and a mass haul
diagram is constructed for each, the one that
gives the most economical results and maintains
any stipulated standards can be used.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Uses
In financing
• Once the formation level has been designed,
the mass haul diagram can be used to indicate
the most economical method of moving the
earth around the project and good estimate of
the overall cost of the earth – moving can be
calculated.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Uses
In construction
• By preparing a mass haul diagram, the
required volume of material are known before
construction begins, enabling suitable plant
and machinery to be chosen, sites for spoil
heaps and borrow pits to be located and
directions of haul to be established.
 MASS HAUL DIAGRAM
• Uses
In forward planning
• The diagram can be used to indicate the effect
that other engineering works within the overall
project, especially tunnels and bridges, will have
on the earth – moving. Such constructions
upset the pattern of the mass haul diagram by
restricting the directions of haul, but since the
volumes and the quantities of any waste and
borrow will be known, suitable areas for spoil
heaps and borrow pits can be located in
advance of construction, enabling work to
proceed smoothly.